The College of Public Health began virtual instruction to students in Brazil in Spring 2021 as part of the American Academy (AA), a two-year dual-enrollment undergraduate program where students in Curitiba, Brazil, are both and Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná students.
The program started in July 2018, and now just finished its sixth semester. The students take an accelerated version of courses, finishing each in three to four weeks. Once completed, students earn an Associate of Science degree from Kent State. From there, students can choose to attend Kent State to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“So far, 60 percent of the students who have completed the program have chosen to continue their studies at Kent State. Because AA enrollments have grown – from an initial intake of 15 students to a current enrollment of about 140 – we’ve been able to add more elective course options, and we were very excited to be able to add a public health course to the curriculum this semester for the first time: Introduction to Global Health, taught by CPH ambassador Ken Slenkovich,” said Leslie Bowser, a Senior Global Programs advisor in the Office of Global Education.
Slenkovich says the course covers public health issues from a global perspective.
“We look at how things are affecting other countries. We talk about cancer, tropical diseases like Malaria, and Dengue fever. The course gives students a broad introduction to global health issues around the world,” he said.
Professor Slenkovich met with students twice a day, teaching the course in a flipped style that allows for more hands-on, problem-solving-orientated instruction rather than mostly lectures.
‘It’s going well. They liked the flip-course design. They feel like they’re learning more than sitting through a lecture. The students are very bright. They’re engaged, participating in discussions, and I’m enjoying teaching it. I’ve had a lot of students tell me they are interested in continuing their studies in the United States” continued Slenkovich.
Public Health courses plan to be offered to Brazilian students enrolled in the American Academy on a rotating basis
For almost four semesters of the program, faculty would fly to Brazil to teach in person. Since March 2020, all classes have been virtual. The Office of Global Education says they look forward to returning to in-person instruction when it’s safe to do so.